LET THE BIBLE SPEAK.

Prophecies of Christ: "The Wolf Shall Dwell With The Lamb" Mike Riley Regarding Isaiah 11:6-9, a querist asks, “When do these events take place on the earth?” In Isaiah 11:1-10, the prophet directs his attention far into the future towards the Messiah’s kingdom (Christ is portrayed as “a Branch” – Isaiah 11:1). He describes a reign of peace among those who seek refuge in Christ. This reign of peace is graphically symbolized in the form of creatures that are natural enemies, e.g., the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the kid, etc. live together in harmony (Isaiah 11:6). Even the normally carnivorous lion eats straw like the ox (Isaiah 11:7), and children play safely among the adders (Isaiah 11:8). These symbols portray for us the characteristics of Christ’s kingdom, the church (Matthew 16:18-19; Romans 14:17; cf. Gal. 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:9). Isaiah is showing the power of the gospel to change men’s hearts (“the earth shall be f...

PURPOSE OF EVANGELISM As Christians we are each involved in some type of evangelism, through teaching privately, or publicly, and in our examples to other individuals that we associate with each day. We have a grave responsibility because the destiny of ourselves, our families, and others will in some way rest with us. In this we have a purpose to develop and we shall look at this under three headings. BRING EVERY THOUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY II Cor. 10:5—6, Paul wrote, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ: And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” This indicates the complete authority of God through Christ. The person seeking salvation must be willing to yield himself into submission to God’s Word. This, of course, rules out all the doctrines of men, involving their disciplines and creeds...

The Credibility of the Gospel Luke begins with an introduction that sounds a lot like introductions of historians of the period. The historical introduction usually functioned to summarize the case the historian wished to make. For example, Josephus in his preface to Jewish Wars defended the Jews by explaining that only a fringe group, the Zealots, were responsible for the uprising that led to the eventual destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Luke, in a similar way, writes in order to explain the roots of a movement called "the way" in his second volume, Acts. But Luke's interest was not merely historical. Indeed, most ancient historians rarely wrote history merely to recount facts. There was a reason behind including what they did in their material. This was usually stated in the introduction. Luke's purpose was not merely historical, but theological. He recounted what he did in order to solidify faith. Notice, "Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an...

SHOULD FAITH GO PUBLIC? Someone reported the following note was posted in the hall of a California high school: “In the event of an earthquake, the Supreme Court ban on prayer in public schools will be temporarily lifted.” That little note reminds us there are times when faith in God becomes extremely important. Would you pray in the event of an earthquake? In Acts 27 the apostle Paul is praying- not in an earthquake, but on a ship in a terrible storm on the Mediterranean Sea. For many days the ship Paul is on is driven helplessly on an angry, storm-tossed sea. Notice at least one lesson which can be drawn from this incident- Paul believed in going public with his faith! After urging all on board to eat, Acts 27:35 reads, “And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat.” In verse 37 Luke adds, “And in all we were two hundred and seventysix persons on the ship....

SIX WAYS SATAN GAINS ADVANTAGE OF THE CHURCH Jimmy Young     Let us not kid ourselves; Satan is “good” at what he does. He knows all there is to be known in getting the advantage of the church. We can be assured that he has no plans to give-up on destroying each of us! All we have to do is to look around, and you don’t have look too far to see his destructive work. Remember, I’m not speaking of the world, he already has it. I’m speaking of the church. Paul said, “Lest Satan should get advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). Peter also gives us these wise words to follow, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world”(1 Peter 5:8-9).     When Christians fail to do a...

Social Drinking Q & A Question: Doesn't the word wine in the Bible always refer to alcoholic wine? Answer: No. The word wine translates about five words in Hebrew and Greek, all of which refer to grape juice as well as fermented wine, as in the following verses: chemer (Isaiah 27:2), yayin (Isaiah 20:10), tirosh (Proverbs 3:10), and finally, gleukos and oinos (both of which translate the three Hebrew words which are often used of grape juice). Question: Didn't Jesus make fermented wine at the wedding in Cana (John 2)? Didn't the ruler say it was the "best wine"? Answer: Albert Barnes observes that the ancients considered the "best wine" that which was harmless. We could give quotes from Pliny, Plutarch and Horace to prove that. The fact is the ancients PREFERRED GRAPE JUICE. Question: Doesn't 1 Timothy 3:3, 8 say the elder cannot be given to wine, while the deacon needs only not to be given to MUCH wine? Answer: The Greek words used as syno...

CRISIS IN THE HOME: SODOMY/HOMOSEXUALITY Ronnie Whittemore         In the political and media environment of our society, the word “crisis” tends to be overused. Nearly every cultural or political event is deemed a crisis. One of the repercussions of overusing a word such as “crisis,” is the devaluing of the word or the “real” crisis. A crisis may be defined as “an emotionally significant event or radical change of status in a person's life; the decisive moment; an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending; a situation that has reached a critical phase” (www.m-w.com). Sometimes the crisis that a person faces is not the “event itself,” but one's reaction to the event. For that reason, great faith and understanding in the majesty of God can help Christians to cope with the storms of life which test their faith (Matt. 14:31; James 1:2-4).  ...

Some Biblical Definitions4 Mike Riley A querist asks, “What are the biblical definitions of the terms, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, and their specific roles?” In this article, let us briefly explore these definitions in order to better identify these individuals and their roles in the church. Apostle – These men were (1) commissioned by Christ (Luke 6:13; Acts 9:15; Acts 22:14); (2) were witnesses of our Lord’s resurrection (Acts 1:22; Acts 22:14,15; Acts 26:16; 1 Corinthians 15:5-8; 1 John 1:1); (3) received instructions from the Holy Spirit (Matthew 10:16-20; John 14:26; John 16:13-16; Acts 1:5,8; Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:4-16), or direct revelation from Christ as in the case of Paul (Gal. 1:11-12; Ephesians 3:1-5); (4) had the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:1-11; Mark 16:17-18; Mark 16:20). Prophet – The prophets were inspired to make known God’s will after it had been revealed to them through ...

Soldiers Of Christ Arise! Mike Riley A song we often sing in our worship to God is, “Soldiers of Christ, Arise.” One verse of this song states, “Stand, then in his great might, with all his strength endued; But take to arm you for the fight, the panoply of God.” In singing this great song, I often wondered what the “panoply” of God was since I rarely saw or used that word at any other time. The word “panoply” comes from the Greek term (panoplia). This word refers to the full equipment of the heavily armed foot-soldier, including both offensive and defensive weapons. Every Roman soldier going into battle would take special care to be thoroughly equipped and prepared, as his life might well depend on it. “Among the Greeks the panoplia was the complete equipment used by heavily armed infantry” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary, Pg. 75). This word is used in the New Testament – not in a physical sense, but in a spiritua...

SHOULD FAITH GO PUBLIC? Someone reported the following note was posted in the hall of a California high school: “In the event of an earthquake, the Supreme Court ban on prayer in public schools will be temporarily lifted.” That little note reminds us there are times when faith in God becomes extremely important. Would you pray in the event of an earthquake? In Acts 27 the apostle Paul is praying- not in an earthquake, but on a ship in a terrible storm on the Mediterranean Sea. For many days the ship Paul is on is driven helplessly on an angry, storm-tossed sea. Notice at least one lesson which can be drawn from this incident- Paul believed in going public with his faith! After urging all on board to eat, Acts 27:35 reads, “And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat.” In verse 37 Luke adds, “And in all we were two hundred and seventysix persons on the ship....

Should We Believe the Book of Mormon? "Should we believe that Joseph Smith in fact was told by God that we should all be a part of the Mormon Religion?" Members of the 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' claim the Book of Mormon is of divine origin. They believe it to be a book more important than the Bible, for they do not think the Bible, as we have it, is correctly translated. Mormons contend that Joseph Smith, Jr., born in Vermont in 1805, received visits from The Father and the Son, and from an angel named Moroni in 1820 and 1823. He also supposedly received ancient writings (600 BC - 421 AD) on golden plates that were hidden in a hill near Palmyra, New York in 1829. The Book of Mormon, published in 1830, is said to be Smith's translation of the alleged golden plates. However, The Book of Mormon is NOT of divine origin and there are many ways in which this fact can be proven. In our limited space we list only a few of them. 1. The Book of Mo...

SIX WAYS SATAN GAINS ADVANTAGE OF THE CHURCH Jimmy Young     Let us not kid ourselves; Satan is “good” at what he does. He knows all there is to be known in getting the advantage of the church. We can be assured that he has no plans to give-up on destroying each of us! All we have to do is to look around, and you don’t have look too far to see his destructive work. Remember, I’m not speaking of the world, he already has it. I’m speaking of the church. Paul said, “Lest Satan should get advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). Peter also gives us these wise words to follow, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world”(1 Peter 5:8-9).     When Christians fail to do a...

When Does marriage take place according to the Bible? By Ezekiel A. Akinyemi Different answers have been given to the question of this topic. Some say a man and a woman become married when both determine to leave father and mother and cleave to each other and become one flesh, God being their witness. They consider the witness of man as incidental, and not mandatory. This reasoning is based on how they understand Genesis 2:24—“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”  This position cannot be sustained because, majorly, it ignores the teaching of many other passages of scripture on the same subject. Some others say marriage occurs when a consenting man and a consenting woman who are scripturally qualified for marriage have an open declaration before God and man to become husband and wife. This conclusion is based on the teaching of Genesis 2:24 contextually and all other scriptures put together. In order to de...

Elders and Preachers Working Relationship THEME: But Grow in the Grace and Knowledge of Our Lord and Savior  2 Peter 3:18 Bible Teaching Delivered At the Church of Christ, Challenge, Ibadan On Saturday, March 11, 2017 By: Bro. B. O. Matanmi (08035667991), Church of Christ, Igbein, Abeokuta Introduction: In the Church, the fold of Christ and the kingdom of God on earth, Elders are also known as BISHOPS, PASTORS, OVERSEERS, SHEPHERDS or PRESBYTERS. The duty Of Elders are within the Fold in the Local Church where they are members, because their ability is limited due to their age - I Tim. 3:4-5, Titus 1:5-6. Note: - Having faithful children; One who rules his house well; Acts 14:23  Elder in every Church - Every Local Church with her own Elders. These are not Young Men but Elderly Ones advanced in age. Not one Elder but Elders. Preacher is also known as: EVANGELIST, MINISTER, and STEWARD in the FOLD of Christ, the Church of Christ, Pillar and Ground of the Truth - I Tim. 3...

TOPIC: The Work, Qualifications and Support of a Preacher By Bro. KAYODE Adekunle. Preamble: There is no doubt about the fact that what can be said to be the most important theme of the bible is the conception and execution of the plan of salvation. The whole plan that came out of the wisdom and prudence of God (Eph1:7-8); revolves round Christ coming into the world to save man from eternal perdition. According to the plan, Christ is to bring to man the message of salvation; the gospel, which the bible calls ‘the power of God on to salvation’ Rom1:16. For a sinner to be saved, he must hear the gospel and believe it and be baptized Mark16:15-16.When Christ came into the world He appointed 12 men (the Apostles) to work with him John17:8. Part of the plan was also for Him to establish His kingdom (the church) on earth. For the gospel to be preached and for the church to be taught and stabilized, the bible confirms He put some personnel in place (apart from the Apostles). One...

By Ezekiel Akinyemi. It has been published in the May, 1972 issue of the Gospel Defender, which I publish, that certain individuals have constituted themselves as the Registered Trustees of the Church of Christ in Nigeria. Brother Eno Otoyo of the Christian Technical School, Oyubia - Oron, who is the present leader of the board, confessed that the board was formed in 1955 for certain purposes. A document was signed on July 23, 1955 by His Excellency, J. W. Robertson, then the Governor-General of Nigeria, stating that three men were "duly appointed Trustees of Church of Christ, Nigeria." The three men were "Huffard, Peden, and Horton." Some other features of the document worth quoting are: "Aim and Objects" "The aim and objects of the Church of Christ in Nigeria are: 1. To teach Christianity. 2. To train and develop leaders in religious and moral thought and work. 3. To encourage and assist the advancement of education in Nigeria. "Truste...

Lecture delivered by Sunday Ayandare at Challenge, Ibadan on March 8, 2017. Introduction: Crucial to a good understanding of our subject is the principle of the independence of the local church. Hence our proposition is: To establish the principle of the autonomy of the local church. How this principle applies to the local church. Scriptural ways of congregational cooperation. The NT plainly reveals the organizational structure of the church to be that of the independence of each local church – Acts 14:23; 20:28; Philippians 1:1; 1 Pet. 5:1-4. How does this principle apply to the local church? It doesn’t mean each church can make its own laws. Christ is the only Head of the church – Ephesians 1:22-23. He is the only Law-giver – James 4:12. Nobody or group of men may make laws and bind them on Christians – Matthew 15:8-9; 1 Corinthians 4:6; 2 John 9-11. Congregational autonomy simply means each local church has the right to execute the will of...

By Gbenga Fabunmi Theme: Growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior (2 Pet. 3: 18). Preamble: On the 4th of March, 2009, we were gathered like this in this auditorium to discuss this same topic Congregational Autonomy is a Divine Plan, and that was eight years ago. I like to inform this gathering that to the glory of God, I am still keeping a copy of my presentation then with me till today. Truth is always constant! The word of God, being the truth (Jn. 17: 17), is settled forever in heaven and nothing or no one can either change it or improve on it (Ps. 119: 89; Rev. 22: 18 & 19). It is my belief that I am not going to disappoint anyone here this morning if no new thing(s) is or are found in my present presentation after eight solid years that such has taken place here because the government of the Lords church is a divine plan! The New Century version (NCV) of the holy Bible beautifully renders the book of Ephesians chapter one and verses twenty-one to twe...

By  E. Olu. Alonge Objectives: at the end, we should be able to: Define authority State why we should be concerned about matter of authority Explain why we need divine authority Affirm that there is a sure source of authority in spiritual matter Identify how to establish authority Explain application of the principle of establishing scriptural authority Introduction Ferrell Jenkins (1990) in the preface to his Biblical Authority states “…of laying a good foundation in Biblical authority, whether teaching an individual or instructing the church… we could never move towards a common understanding unless we agree on the standard of authority” In a similar vein Keith Sharp wrote “… for us to be the church Jesus built, we must have proper standard of authority… that standard is the will of Christ as revealed in the apostles doctrine , that is the teachings of Christ’s apostles as inspired by the Holy Spirit and preserved for us ...